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Historical map · 1880

Map of Europe in 1880

In 1880, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 28 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the French Third Republic. The British Empire reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 25.2 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1880. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN 1880 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1880
Atlas map: The Great Reforms (Jul 1878)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, CHAPTER 1: THE GREAT REFORMS (JUL 1878)

States and empires in Europe in 1880

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Russian Empire Wikipedia3.4 million km²22.2 million km²1721–1916
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.3 million km²2.2 million km²1305–1923
French Third Republic Wikipedia887,000 km²2.3 million km²1871–1939
United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway Wikipedia798,000 km²799,000 km²1815–1904
Austria-Hungary Wikipedia676,000 km²676,000 km²1868–1918
German Empire Wikipedia555,000 km²555,000 km²1871–1918
Kingdom of Spain Wikipedia495,000 km²990,000 km²1516–2024
Spanish Empire Wikipedia495,000 km²990,000 km²1516–1931
United Kingdom Wikipedia352,000 km²355,000 km²1709–2024
British Empire Wikipedia352,000 km²25.2 million km²1706–1999
French Africa Wikipedia349,000 km²807,000 km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia274,000 km²274,000 km²587–1946
Denmark Wikipedia159,000 km²159,000 km²1046–1940
Romania Wikipedia130,000 km²130,000 km²1859–1916
Morocco Wikipedia124,000 km²386,000 km²1670–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia92,000 km²242,000 km²1502–1910
Kingdom of Portugal Wikipedia92,000 km²194,000 km²1147–1911
Beylik of Tunis Wikipedia85,000 km²88,000 km²1706–1884
Principality of Bulgaria Wikipedia63,000 km²63,000 km²1880–1908
Kingdom of Serbia Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²1188–1884
Greece Wikipedia48,000 km²48,000 km²1822–1940
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia38,000 km²1.3 million km²1811–2024
Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia30,000 km²30,000 km²1830–2024
Qajar Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Montenegro Wikipedia6,030 km²6,030 km²1853–2024
Luxembourg2,400 km²2,400 km²1871–2024
Principality of Andorra Wikipedia380 km²380 km²1815–2024

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1871

New on the map: Principality of Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia.

Gone from the map: Serbia.

What comes next: 1900

Appear by 1900: Serbia, Cretan State.

Gone by 1900: Beylik of Tunis, Kingdom of Serbia.

Read the history of 1880

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Europe in 1880?

The map data draws 28 states and other polities in Europe in 1880. The largest by land were the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the French Third Republic, the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway and Austria-Hungary.

What was the largest empire in Europe in 1880?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 25.2 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1880 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1880, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Europe in other years

Other regions in 1880